Tag: Rezvan Yazdani

Supreme Court Overturns Acquittal of 26 Baha’i Citizens; Re-summoned to Court

Posted on by . .
News, Religious Minorities
Ahdiyeh Enayati, Bahareh Norouzi, Behnam Azizpour, Esmaeil Roosta, Farbod Shadman, Farzad Shadman, Lala Salehi, Mahyar Sefidi Miyandoab, Marjan Gholampour, Maryam Eslami Mahdiabadi, Mojgan Gholampour Saadi, Nabil Tahzib, Nasim Kashani Nejad, Noushin Zenhari, Parisa Rouhi-Zadegan, Ramin Shirvani, Rezvan Yazdani, Saeed Hasani, Sahba Farahbakhsh, Sahba Moslehi, Samareh Ashnaei, Shadi Sadegh Aghdam, Shamim Akhlaqi, Soroush Aghaei Saghadi, Vargha Kaviani, Yekta Fahandezh-Sa`adi

HRANA News Agency – Following an objection by the Chief Justice of Fars Province to the acquittal of 26 Baha’i citizens residing in Shiraz, the Supreme Court has referred their case to a parallel court branch for reconsideration. These citizens have now been summoned to Branch 2 of the Fars Province Court of Appeals.

Based on information obtained by HRANA, the following individuals received official summonses to appear before Branch 2 of the Fars Province Court of Appeals:
Parisa Rouhi-Zadegan, Esmaeil Roosta, Bahareh Norouzi, Behnam Azizpour, Samareh Ashnaei, Ramin Shirvani, Rezvan Yazdani, Soroush Aghaei Saghadi, Saeed Hasani, Shadi Sadegh Aghdam, Shamim Akhlaqi, Sahba Farahbakhsh, Sahba Moslehi, Ahdiyeh Enayati, Farbod Shadman, Farzad Shadman, Lala Salehi, Mojgan Gholampour Saadi, Marjan Gholampour, Maryam Eslami Mahdiabadi, Mahyar Sefidi Miyandoab, Nabil Tahzib, Nasim Kashani Nejad, Noushin Zenhari, Vargha Kaviani, and Yekta Fahandezh Saadi. They have been instructed to appear before the court July 1.

The source added that recently, Seyed Kazem Mousavi, Chief Justice of Fars Province, filed an objection to the acquittal under Article 477 of the Criminal Procedure Code. As a result, Branch 1 of the Supreme Court referred the case again to a parallel court—this time Branch 2 of the Fars Province Court of Appeals.

In June 2022, these Baha’i citizens had initially been sentenced by Branch 1 of the Shiraz Revolutionary Court to a total of 85 years in prison, exile, and travel bans. That verdict was upheld in full by Branch 37 of the Fars Province Court of Appeals.

Parisa Rouhi-Zadegan and Nasim Kashani Nejad served prison terms in 2022 in connection with this case.

The case was originally opened in 2016, and some of the individuals were detained at that time.

Additionally, Yekta Fahandezh Saadi was arrested in December 2023 in a separate case by security forces and released on bail after about five months. She has previously been arrested and sentenced due to her activities.

30 Baha’is were summoned to the court in Shiraz

Posted on by admin-hr
Religious Minorities
Ahdyeh Enayati, Baha'i, Bahareh Norouzi, Behnam Azimpour, Esmail Rousta, Farhad Sabet, Farid Shademan, Farzad Shademan, Farzan Masoumi, Lala Salehi, Mahyar Sefidi, Marjan Gholampour, Maryam Eslami, Mojgan Gholampour, Nabil Tahzib, Nasim Kashani, Niloufar Hakimi, Noushin Zanhari, Parisa Rouhizadegan, Ramin Shirvani, Rezvan Yazdani, Saeed Hasani, Sahba Farahbakhsh, Sahba Moslehi, Samar Ashnaei, Shadi Sadegh Aghdam, Shahnaz Sabet, Shamim Akhlaghi, Shiraz, Soroush Ighani, Vargha Kaviani, Yekta Fahandaj Saadi

On March 14, 2019, 30 Baha’i citizens were summoned to Branch 10 of the Revolutionary Court of Shiraz. Their summon was related to a case that was opened back in 2016 against them by the Intelligence Ministry. They were charged with “membership in an opposition group” and “propaganda against the state”. They were identified as follows:

Noushin Zanhari, Esmail Rousta, Behnam Azimpour, Saeed Hasani, Ramin Shirvani, Marjan Gholampour, Mojgan Gholampour, Farid Shademan, Farzad Shademan, Parisa Rouhizadegan, Shamim Akhlaghi, Sahba Farahbakhsh, Sahba Moslehi, Ahdyeh Enayati, Mahyar Sefidi, Shadi Sadegh Aghdam, Vargha Kaviani, Soroush Ighani, Maryam Eslami, Yekta Fahandaj Saadi, Nabil Tahzib, Samar Ashnaei, Rezvan Yazdani, Lala Salehi, Nasim Kashani, Bahareh Norouzi, Niloufar Hakimi, Farzan Masoumi, Shahnaz Sabet, and Farhad Sabet

 

Background

Marjan Gholampour, Mojgan Gholampour, Farid Shademan, Farzad Shademan, Parisa Rouhizadegan, Shamim Akhlaghi, Sahba Farahbakhsh, Sahba Moslehi, Ahdyeh Enayati, Mahyar Sefidi, Shadi Sadegh Aghdam, Vargha Kaviani, Soroush Ighani, and Maryam Eslami were arrested in 2016 and were transferred to Ministry of Intelligence Detention Center in Shiraz known as the No. 100 Detention Center.

On October 3, 2016, Bahareh Norouzi and her husband, Siamak Honarvar were arrested and their house was searched and their belongings were confiscated. They were also transferred to the No.100 Detention Center.

On October 10, 2016, Vargha Kaviani, Shamim Akhlaghi, Farid Shademan, Soroush Ighaei, Farzad Shademan, and Mojgan Gholampour were released from Adel Abad Prison on 200 million Tomans bail along with 92 other prisoners.

On October 11, 2016, Marjan Gholampour, Maryam Eslami, and Parisa Rouhizadegan were released from prison on 200 million Tomans bail.

Moreover, Noushin Zanhari, Esmail Rousta, Behnam Azimpour, Saeed Hasani, and Ramin Shirvani were arrested along with several other Baha’i citizens in June 2016. They were released on 200 million Toman bail after a month.

Baha’i citizens of Iran are systematically deprived of religious freedoms, while according to Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, all people are entitled to freedom of religion, belief, and changes thereof, as well as the right to express and practice those beliefs as individuals or collectives, in public or in private. Though unofficial sources estimate the Baha’i population of Iran at more than 300,000, Iran’s Constitution officially recognizes only Islam, Christianity, Judaism, and Zoroastrianism, and does not acknowledge the Baha’i faith as an official religion. As a result, the rights of Baha’is in Iran are systematically violated.